1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a sweetness modifier. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a sweetness inhibitor, said sweetness inhibitor comprising a sweetness inhibiting amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal heptyl sulfonate, an alkaline earth metal heptyl sulfonate, an alkali metal octyl sulfonate, an alkaline earth metal octyl sulfonate and mixtures thereof.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Sweetness is one of the primary taste cravings of both animals and humans Thus, the utilization of sweetening agents in foods in order to satisfy this sensory desire is well established. However, oftentimes sweetening agents are used in foods to provide functions other than sweetening. For example, sweetening agents can be utilized in foods as fillers, bulking agents, antimicrobial agents, freezing point depressants, stabilizers and the like.
In many instances, the utilization of a sweetening agent for purposes other than sweetening results in an excessively sweet taste. In those instances a modification of the formulation to reduce the sweetener level is required. This modification must, of course, occur without the concurrent reduction in the amount of sweetener utilized. Obviously, the sweetness level was incorporated to provide an additional function. Decrease in the sweetener will adversely effect this requirement.
One solution to this problem, known in the art, is the addition of a bitter or an acidic ingredient to the ingestible product to reduce sweetness perception. This solution has met with very little success in that the resultant ingestible product has an undesirable bitter or acidic taste.
Accordingly, in view of the above remarks it becomes readily apparent that it would be highly desirable to provide a sweetness inhibiting agent which, when added to ingestible compositions which are sweetened with naturally occurring, artificial or combinations of natural and artificial sweeteners, greatly reduce or eliminate unwanted or unpleasant sweet tastes thereby increasing the palatability of overly sweet products.
Alkyl sulfonates and salts thereof are known in the art. However, their utility has generally been limited to detergents and surfactants. Indeed, use of alkyl sulfonates as detergents and surfactants is usually restricted to alkyls of at least 10 to 12 carbon atoms. The use of alkyl sulfonate salts of any number of carbon atoms as sweetness inhibitors is unknown in the art.